A book on 'The Mandovi and Zuari Estuaries' was released formally at the Workshop on Indian Estuaries at NIO by the former Director, Dr BN Desai on 25 June 2007. Since the establishment of this Institute, these estuaries are of interest to the researchers at NIO and therefore these are the most studied estuaries in India. The primary objective of the book is to compile the information and knowledge that exists on the Mandovi and Zuari estuaries. The first chapter of the book describes the environment in which the Mandovi and the Zuari exist. Covered in this chapter are the geometry of the terrain over which the estuaries flow, the rainfall and runoff they experience, the winds, etc. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 provide an overview of the basic physics of the two estuaries: nature of tides, efforts made so far to simulated them in numerical models, and characteristics of stratification and mixing. These are followed by chapters that examine the fundamentals of biology and chemistry of the estuaries. A distinct characteristic of the estuaries is the annual cycle that they exhibit. Chapters 5 describes the annual cycle of nutrient concentration, Chapter 6 of phytoplankton, Chapter 7 of zooplankton, and Chapter 8 of benthic macrofauna. A motivation for estuarine research around the world stems from the desire to keep them healthy and free of pollutants and human interference. Chapters 9, 10, and 11 describe three pollutants that are of special relevance to the Mandovi and the Zuari. Chapter 9 describes the observed concentrations of iron and manganese, whose source lies in the extensive iron and manganese mines of Goa. Chapter 10 discusses distribution of TBT, which is used widely in building of ships and in their maintenance. The channels of the Mandovi and the Zuari have been used extensively in the past for transporting people and goods. Over the last five decades they have been used to transport iron and manganese ore. The estuaries have also been used to discharge sewage, most of it raw. Chapter 11 discusses the distribution of bacteria that are linked to sewage disposal. Chapter 12 discusses characteristics of wetlands found along the banks of the two estuaries. Known locally as khaznam, these wetlands have sustained a special form of agriculture and fishery for almost ten thousand years. The chapter describes how khaznam work and their relationship with the estuaries. The book concludes with a chapter that discusses future directions for research on the two estuaries. The editors hope that the contents of this book will encourage further studies of the Mandovi and Zuari, and of our country's several other estuaries. This book has been dedicated to Dr. Mahesh Zingde, Scientist-in-charge Regional Centre NIO at Mumbai on his 60th birthday. Studies on estuarine and coastal regions of India have been the hallmark of his professional career. Dr. Zingde's contributions have greatly improved our knowledge of the structure and functioning of the estuaries in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. For several years, Dr. Zingde has served as consultant to state and central governments and to the industry. In this capacity, he has been of immense help to the industry and to several diverse institutions, helping them to minimize pollution and to ensure the health of riverine and coastal ecosystems. As he turns sixty, we express our gratitude to Dr. Zingde for his contributions and for his mentorship over the years. The print copies of the book (until they exist) would be freely available. Click here for elctronic version of the book.